Martinez Set to Raise Wigan’s US Profile

ESPN in the United States has hired Wigan Manager Roberto Martinez to provide commentary from South Africa during the 2010 World Cup.

The animated Martinez who had an excellent playing career in England and Scotland along with his native Spain is major capture for the American broadcaster.

World Cup broadcasters in Spain and Great Britain had sought Martinez’s services over the summer. Wigan Chairman Dave Whelan is sure to have encouraged Martinez’s summer employment, as the overall profile of Wigan Athletic will be elevated in the United States.

Whelan, who has built Wigan from a non league club to a perennial mid-table Premiership side in short order, may be able to exploit Martinez’s increased profile to also elevate the recognition of the town of Wigan.

I recently completed the book, Pies and Prejeduce, in Search of the North, by author Stuart Maconie. In the book Maconie who is from Wigan, states “ I come from a hick town.” He does go on to state that Wigan is the only place in Britain with a Premiership football club and Super League Rugby side.

So much of Wigan’s sporting lore has to do with Dave Whelan and perhaps the small “hick” town which is like so many American middle sized places can connect with US based football fans. Martinez’s hiring by ESPN furthers this possibility.

Americans love an underdog, and Wigan is the ultimate Premier League underdog. Previously Wigan was the ultimate Football League underdog as well. Martinez who played a key role in two of Wigan’s promotions knows this well.

So while Roberto Martinez works on connecting with the American audience this summer, remember the role of his club and his owner.

About Kartik Krishnaiyer

A lifelong lover of soccer, the beautiful game, he served from January 2010 until May 2013 as the Director of Communications and Public Relations for the North American Soccer League (NASL).
Raised on the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the old NASL, Krishnaiyer previously hosted the American Soccer Show on the Champions Soccer Radio Network, the Major League Soccer Talk podcast and the EPL Talk Podcast.
His soccer writing has been featured by several media outlets including The Guardian and The Telegraph. He is the author of the book Blue With Envy about Manchester City FC.
View all posts by Kartik Krishnaiyer →

Hi Mark, I’m a Swansea fan too. Although I’m a bit upset about Martinez going against his word and buying Swansea players after he left to join Wigan, I can’t blame him for moving on from Swansea. Wigan, while not a massive club, gives him the limelight he deserves (as well as the checkbook he desires). He’s already made quite a difference at Wigan and is going to go on to greatness just like Tosh did with Real Madrid.

I guess I need some clarification… “commentating”.. as in color analysis during the game?.. or.. as in halftime pundit?…pundit suits him fine…(I really dont want to see Lalas or Poudy Foudy at half)… in game color guy.. dont know .. sounds like that would be taking a risk having a novice do pxp…. what ever happened to all the Mourinho rumors of him coming to ESPN?…

Sounds like he’ll be a pundit just like he is on ESPN in the UK. As for Mourinho, the rumors of him going to ESPN to do some punditry have died down. Mourinho needs to move on from Inter Milan to get back in the limelight of the top flight of English football again.

He does go on to state that Wigan is the only place in Britain with a Premiership football club and Super League Rugby side.

That may have been true when he wrote it, but it isn’t today. Hull has two Superleague clubs, Hull FC and Kingston Rovers (“Hull KR”), along with the Premiership’s Hull City FC. Hull City and Hull FC share the KC Stadium.

I must confess I don’t know much about Martinez or Wigan, but I’m happy for American World Cup audiences nonetheless. Any connection to the PL and European football in general is good in my opinion. Whatever raises the level of exposure in this country.

As an American and relative newcomer (and absolute devotee) to the EPL, I can say that Wigan is my favorite EPL team. On the heels of catching World Cup fever back in 2006, I had watched a few EPL games, but now had an inkling that I would be very interested in following this “new-to-me” sport league. I selected Wigan in July of 2006 based on a few equally-valued core components:
1. Must be a ‘non-Big-4′ team and from a smaller city that reflected an area in which I live.
2. Must have good-looking kits (love that blue-white vertical stripe) as I tend to be a supporter that will loyally purchase the team’s merchandise.
3. Must be a team that is newer to the EPL which reflected myself in being a newcomer to the league.

As a double-bonus, I was happy to find that Wigan’s owner is both English and a local owner of the club. Many people say what they will, but I happen to think his manner of management is keeping the club’s finances healthy albeit leaving fans little to discuss in the way of blockbuster transfers (except for what terrific amounts we get as we sell).

I agree wholeheartedly agree with the notion that if the US were exposed to the ‘underdog’ story of Wigan’s rise to the top level of English football, more would be fans. As a US supporter of the Latics, I welcome all who choose them.

PS So you’re an American and a fan of one of the Big 4?, Any monkey can be a Big 4 fan.

In 2008 I took a trip to the UK with my wife and friends. I really wanted to take in a football match but did not have tickets beforehand. We were staying in Manchester so we planned on trying to go to the ManU-Portsmouth FA cup match on Saturday or the Wigan-Arsenal match on Sunday. Being an Arsenal supporter and being unable to find reasonably priced tickets to the FA Cup match I decided we should try Wigan the next day.

When we got to the stadium they would not let us purchase tickets from the box office because we had never purchased tickets before(even though I am an Arsenal supporter, I didn’t show it in case we had to get tickets in the Wigan section). Since there were plenty of tickets still available there were no touts selling outside the stadium. Just when all seemed lost, a generous Wigan season ticket holder offered to buy us tickets and we were able to see the match. My first and only PL match and it ended in a 0-0 draw, but it was an amazing experience. I had only casually followed the PL up until that point, but since then I try to watch every Arsenal match and find myself watching other matches if I have the time.

Wigan will always have a place in my heart and I always want them to do well. They are my “second team”(I know that following 2 teams is almost blasphemous, but I don’t care). I hope that Roberto Martinez can increase the Latics profile to the average US soccer fan.